Billboard says this is the first time the year sold more than 3 million copies since Nielsen began compiling its list 91. Nobody can call shortly after Lil Wayne: music hip-hop star Tha Carter III was 2008 best-selling album, 2.88 million units on the move, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Coldplay, came in second with Viva La Vida or Death and all his friends, 2.15 million copies sold, while Taylor Swift Fearless was No. 3 with 2.11 million..